Suspension Over, Albert Pirro Is Readmitted to Practice Law

By JONATHAN P. HICKS

Published: January 26, 2007

After a federal conviction and suspension of his law license, Albert J. Pirro Jr., the husband of the former Westchester district attorney, Jeanine F. Pirro, was readmitted to practice law in New York this week, the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court said yesterday.

Mr. Pirro was faced with disbarment after his conviction in 2000 on tax fraud charges, but the Appellate Division ruled in 2003 that his license would be suspended, not revoked. His conviction served as an embarrassing backdrop to his wife's unsuccessful campaign last year, when she was the Republican candidate for New York attorney general.

In an interview yesterday, Mr. Pirro read a statement: ''This has been a humbling experience. And I'm grateful to be given the opportunity to practice law again in New York State.'' Mr. Pirro declined to comment beyond that statement.

For years, Mr. Pirro, a lawyer who was close to powerful Republican politicians in the state, was the behind-the-scenes power behind his wife's career. She served as Westchester district attorney for 12 years until she decided not to run for re-election in 2005.

And Ms. Pirro was one of the politicians that Republican leaders put their hopes on. She briefly ran for the United States Senate seat held by Hillary Rodham Clinton, before state Republican leaders urged her to drop out of that race and to run for attorney general instead. She lost to the Democrat Andrew M. Cuomo.

But over the years, Mr. Pirro's legal and marital troubles became the source of great embarrassment as his wife sought higher office. In 1986, she withdrew from contention as a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor so that her husband would not have to disclose information about his law firm's clients. In 1999, Ms. Pirro was said to be considering a run for the Senate when her husband was indicted on tax fraud charges, so she decided not to run.

Later, it was disclosed that Mr. Pirro had fathered a child by another woman several years after his marriage to Ms. Pirro.